Grading which Minnesota owners have thrived and which have stumbled

The Timberwolves are eight months removed from the greatest achievement in franchise history, a Game 7 victory in the arena of the defending champion Nuggets, yet their employees are seeking legal ways to calm their nerves.

The Twins’ brain trust not long ago engineered the first playoff victory for the franchise since 2002, despite payroll restrictions, yet they can’t be sure that they’ll keep their jobs.

The Vikings have won exactly one playoff game since 2017, yet their organization is the picture of stability.

Owners matter.

With the Wolves nearing the resolution of their ownership dispute and the Twins nearing the sale of their franchise, here’s one observer’s ranking of local sports owners:

Andrea Yoch gathered friends in a beer garden and suggested starting a women’s soccer club. The Minnesota Aurora persuaded the Vikings to lend them the stadium at TCO Performance Center. The Aurora sold out their first game, kept selling out games, and turned what could have been a cool cult experience into a national story and a Minnesota phenomenon.

This story is the opposite of a billionaire buying an existing franchise because they don’t know what else to do with their riches. The Aurora owners created something unique and unexpected.

They run a cohesive and quality organization, but have produced only one playoff victory since 2017.

Stability is admirable. Winning big would be better.

Glen Taylor had his best year as an owner after he decided to sell his franchises.

The Minnesota Lynx became the most surprising WNBA finalist in years, and came within one shot (or foul call) of winning it all, not long after the Wolves had their most impressive playoff run ever.

Taylor, who also owns the Minnesota Star Tribune, made mistakes for many years, but the current iteration of his ownership has proved that he wants to keep the franchise in town and is willing to lose large sums of money in an attempt to win.

The game-day experience is excellent. The franchise has produced three playoff game victories in its existence, probably because it relied too heavily on Adrian Heath.

The franchise appears to be headed in the right direction.

Early Carl Pohlad deserved an A, because he hired Andy MacPhail, who hired Tom Kelly, and the team won two World Series in five years.

The version of Carl Pohlad who ran the Twins from 1995 on deserved an F for stripping the payroll, offering the team up for contraction and making untrue or dubious offers while lobbying for a new ballpark.

Pohlad’s sons — primarily Jim — provided stability and spent large sums on infrastructure. He kept Target Field updated and pristine, and oversaw dramatic improvements in spring training facilities and overseas academies.

The Twins need the next owners to combine the Pohlads’ management stability with Taylor’s willingness to spend.

The Xcel Energy Center remains an ideal home arena and entertainment venue. The Wild proved brave in cutting Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to clear the way for Kirill Kaprizov, the best player in franchise history.

But zero playoff series victories since 2015, in a league that lets just about anyone into the playoffs?

Hard to praise.

The Frost get an A for winning a title in their first year, but an overall incomplete because of the firing of General Manager Natalie Darwitz, and the infighting indicated by their willingness to make such a move.